Coping with a fear of flying

The Stress-Free Flying Workshop

The workshop comprises 3 separate stages. First, you will meet with a psychologist who will help you understand your stress and its causes. Next, you will participate in information and practical training sessions. Lasting 7.5 hours in total, these sessions are conducted in groups of 3 at the Air France Pilot Training Center. Finally, you will receive personalized follow-up.

A preliminary interview with a psychologist

When you enroll in the workshop, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire that will help determine the nature and cause of your fear of flying. Shortly before your information and practical training sessions, a psychologist from the Anti-Stress Center will meet with you for a 45-minute personal interview. Together you will analyze your questionnaire to outline a personalized strategy for managing your stress. Although the interview is optional, it is strongly recommended. The psychologist will contact you prior to your information and practical training sessions to set up a date and time for your meeting.

Information sessions to familiarize you with the aircraft

Information sessions are conducted by various professionals:

A flight stress specialist, who will teach a course on the physiology and psychology of stress, along with exercises for breathing, muscle and mental relaxation

A flight attendant, who will present his or her job and role in flight security and safety

A pilot, who will discuss aerodynamics and the mechanics of flying: this will help you understand air pockets and turbulence, how flying works, etc.

The speakers will answer all your questions during the information session.

Flight simulation to put these lessons into practice

After the information session, you will be invited to board a flight simulator, an exact replica of the Airbus 320 cockpit, located at the Air France Pilot Training Center at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport or Paris-Orly airport.

The flight simulator will give you a chance to:

experience all flight conditions (turbulence, emergency procedures, etc.) and see that everything is under control,

activate lightning, rain and turbulence simulations using a special control system to experience and understand these conditions.

Following the session in the flight simulator, a meeting with the flight crew and a relaxation therapist will help you review what you have learned.

Personalized workshop follow-up

During the sessions, you will receive our booklet, "How to Overcome your Fear of Flying," (in French only), co-authored by psychologist Marie-Claude Dentan, flight commander Noël Chevrier, and flight journalist Michel Polacco. You can use this guide on all of your subsequent flights. Following your sessions, and for as long as you need, our teams will remain available to answer all your questions. Then, for every flight you take with Air France, you can send us an e-mail requesting to be introduced to the cabin crew. You will receive a personalized welcome and extra attention throughout your flight.

Enrollment

The workshop is open to all passengers who want to fly stress-free for professional and personal travel. Several sessions are organized each month at the Air France Pilot Training Center located at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports. The cost is €680. Enroll via e-mail:
mail.antistress@airfrance.fr.